Host Dr. Kernan Manion talks with Dr. Michael Langan, an internist / geriatrician formerly with Mass General Hospital and now a consultant, researcher and author of the blog DisruptedPhysician.com. Michael has intensively studied the PHP (physician health program) movement and its state programs’ use of highly questionable drug testing in assessing physicians referred for the presence of substance abuse related impairment. He reveals that one or more of the urine tests routinely used by PHPs are known to produce false positive results. Further, use of these tests in a forensic environment was strongly advised against by SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, specifically because such alcohol biomarker tests were known to have a very problematic incidence of false positivity (due to high sensitivity but low specificity). Worse, these test results were then being used to mandate compliance with PHP’s “recommendation” to the medical board (MLB) that the physician immediately cease practice and go to a PHP-network facility out-of-state at exorbitant cost under threat of loss of license and public humiliation. And these tests were never designed as an assessment of “impairment” or “substance dependence,” and yet this is what the PHP is portraying to the MLB and to the rights-deprived physician and his/her counsel. Worse, once accused, due to a complete absence of due process, the physician is deprived of any recourse to contest. (Due to the length of the interview and its importance, the podcast was divided into two separate podcasts. This is Part 1.)
If you’re a physician, physician’s counsel or simply interested in a deeper exploration of the specifics of the ill-advised use of such tests, the harms that may ensue and potential approaches to confronting this wrongdoing, be sure to visit [https://www.physicianrights.net/drugtestwebinar] to be notified of our upcoming free live webinar specifically devoted to more deeply understanding these harmful practices and what you can do to defend your rights. We’ll send you the Zoom webinar and Facebook Live logistics as soon as they're finalized.
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Confronting Questionable Drug Testing in US Physician Health Programs (part 1)